dakota medical foundation | dakota medical charities 2006 ...

DMF INITIATIVES UPDATE
Automated External Defibrillators (AED) Initiative (regionwide)
To provide immediate emergency medical treatment to victims of cardiac
arrest in order to improve mortality rates (over $900,000 invested over the past
six years).
• A total of 320 AEDs placed in public locations, police squad cars, and rural first
responder vehicles
• Over 1,300 persons trained on equipment usage
• 15 lives saved
Children’s Mental Health Initiative (Fargo, ND/Moorhead, MN)
Seeks to facilitate the development of community resource tools, community
education and improved collaborative efforts related to children’s mental
health services.
• Community input sought via provider/referral source surveys and a Children’s
Mental Health Summit meeting to prioritize areas of need
• Approved funding of up to $75,000 for 2007 to hire a children’s mental health
coordinator to improve children’s mental health service delivery systems to promote
early identification and recognition of mental illness in children ages 0-8
• An advisory committee is structuring the position and will begin the hiring
process in early 2007
Dental Access Initiative (regionwide)
Provides ongoing support to volunteer dentist urgent care clinic in
Moorhead, MN.
• Over $500,000 invested to-date
• The Urgent Care Dental Clinic continues to provide critical dental care services
to uninsured/low-income individuals
• 52 dentists and 8 dental specialists volunteer time at the clinic
• Over 2,800 patients from 113 communities have accessed services over
the past five years
Diabetes Prevention Initiative (Grand Forks, ND area)
Altru Health System’s diabetes prevention pilot is designed to prevent the
onset of diabetes in persons at-risk for developing the disease.
• $250,000 over three years invested
• 66 persons enrolled in prevention program: 40% have lost 5 lbs. or more, 100%
have reached goal of fasting glucose of under 125, 34% have BP under 130/80
• Worksite wellness and community education programs are also being delivered
through this prevention initiative
Model School Nurse Initiative (Cass and Grand Forks counties in
North Dakota)
$1.3 million five-year public/private, rural/urban school nurse pilot project
initiated to create an efficient, cost-effective, replicable, model school nurse
program with proven outcomes.
• Initiative entered its fifth and final year marking the second year of decreased
program funding. All three school systems covered the 50% decrease to maintain
current school nurse staff, recognizing the value of the health services provided
• Outcome data is being evaluated by NDSU Ph.D. students. In the ’05-06 school
year, 19,852 hours of school nursing services were provided with 100,436 nurse
office visits recorded; nearly 250,000 students and adults received health education;
16,530 students were screened for health insurance and 767 referrals were made to
outside providers for health issues identified by the school nurse staff
• Program sustainability is being pursued through the North Dakota legislature
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